The Daily Start-Up: Yes, You Can Haz $30M

In either a savvy nod to the changing nature of media or a sign of the coming apocalypse, Pet Holdings Inc., the company behind LOLcats, has raised a $30 million Series A round led by Foundry Group. Who knew cute kitties and bad spelling could take you so far?
Like many start-ups, medical imagery company Dicom Grid Inc. had a rough time raising a Series A. Luckily, a doctor-turned-VC saw a huge market opportunity and backed the company, in the latest installment of VentureWire’s weekly series, “The Series A Team.”

Also, telecommunications equipment maker Stoke Inc. is nowvalued at around $200 million after raising a$17 million Series E round to accelerate sales to carriers around the world….The majority of North American limited partners think the venture climate in the U.S. is improving, according to a new survey from Coller Capital….Michael Ahearn, chairman of First Solar Inc., has launched a new venture fund with a target of $300 million.

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Elsewhere around the Web:

Goldman Sachs blames the media for its decision to allow only non-U.S. clients to invest in Facebook, apparently spooked by a Securities and Exchange rule that prohibits investors from publicly promoting private placements.

Sending a resume to a venture capitalist before they ask for it is generally a bad strategy, says VC-turned-entrepreneur Mark Davis.

A European venture firm ventures back to the ’80s. Ingenious Entertainments VCT has invested GBP1 million in a music festival in Scotland that will rock out 1980s hits (U.K.-style), Financial News reports.
The FinTech Innovation Lab in New York City is accepting applications for its annual program that supports start-ups developing technology for the financial services industry. Selected participants get workspace in New York, $25,000 in funding and access to chief decision-makers in the financial services industry. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31.

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Produced by the editors of Dow Jones VentureWire, Venture Capital Dispatch tracks the fast-moving developments at the intersection of high-tech innovation and venture capital finance. Featuring the VentureWire reporting team in the Silicon Valley, New York, Boston and Shanghai tech centers, Venture Capital Dispatch provides insight into the newest start-ups and latest trends in venture capital investing. Write us at VCdispatch@dowjones.com. For more information on Dow Jones products covering venture capital and other financial markets, go to http://pevc.dowjones.com.